Spring storm could bring a foot of snow in Pa.

Residents of the commonwealth were warned Sunday to brace for a late-season storm that could bring a foot of snow to some higher elevations in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the region effective Sunday night until 8 p.m. Monday.

Meteorologist Brad Rehak said the storm could bring six to 10 inches of snow to some areas, but the Laurel Highlands in Westmoreland and Fayette counties could see a foot of snow.

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Pittsburgh was expected to get four to six inches of snow, but even the higher range of that forecast would be highly unusual, he said.

“For Pittsburgh, there have only been two snowfalls six inches or above recorded this late in the year, and they were both in April,” Rehak said. Records covering the area go back to 1883, although there are some gaps in the late 1800s, he said.

Six to eight inches of snow was expected for Cambria, Somerset and Bedford counties and three to five inches in Butler, Lawrence, Beaver, Armstrong, Washington and Indiana counties.

The storm should affect most of central, south-central and eastern Pennsylvania with lesser amounts, forecasters said

“The reason it’s going to be less in eastern Pennsylvania it because it’s going to fall during the day,” Rehak said. “This time of year, the sun’s pretty strong and it heats the ground and limits the accumulation.”

Three to six inches of snow was forecast for much of central Pennsylvania, and two to five inches in much of eastern Pennsylvania with one to three inches expected in Philadelphia and some of its suburbs.